The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Share Your Badassity => Topic started by: rowdyroddypiper on February 28, 2016, 05:25:47 PM
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They certainly did for me! Blades for a safety razor are about only $10 for 50. They also don't have any plastic on them which has got to be better for the planet.
It seems like all the time the makers of fancy cartridge razor blades are always trying to sell you a "new" type that has more features- vibrates, 10 blades head that can wobble to match the funky contours of your face!
I found I got a lot of irritation (mainly ingrown hairs) from multi bladed razors. I did some research and found some people recommended going back to the old school ways of shaving- cut throat razors/safety razors, badger hair brushes and all kinds of non aerosol products for lathering. It certainly reduced the incidence of ingrown hairs but also saved fair chunk of change in my wallet too!
It might take a little bit of practice to get baby bottom smooth, and you may come out of the bathroom with a couple of battle wounds on your face. But it's worth the little bit of effort to learn how to shave like a man. You get pretty quick, and the ritual is certainly more enjoyable for me than spraying some goop from a can and scraping it off with a plastic handled, vibrating, EXPENSIVE piece of marketing piece of UN-necessary junk.
Give it a try! Because you're worth it!
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As a lady, I hear that the old safety razors made the shaving of one's knees virtually impossible. Haven't tried 'em.
I did, however, switch to Dollar Shave Club. Five two-blade cartridges and a free handle for $3 shipped. Pause or cancel at any time, no commitment. (I don't use that many cartridges; every other month is their least frequent option.) If you wanna get fancy, you can get 4 cartridges of a 4 blade razor for $6, but I haven't tried those yet.
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Oh I am with ya on this one! I have been using a safety razor for the last year. I love it! I have nicked myself less times than with those cheap ones I used to buy. Another great feminine product to invest in is a menstrual cup. It holds way more than a tampon and no risk of toxic shock syndrome. Tampons are very costly and not good for the planet. I also don't trust the material or chemicals that may be used to make tampons.
J
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As a lady, I hear that the old safety razors made the shaving of one's knees virtually impossible. Haven't tried 'em.
Not impossible at all!
I got a 200 blade pack on Amazon for $18 dollars a couple years back and imagine they'll see me through the rest of the decade.
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i freaked out about them, but got a really nice safety razor as a gift. you can use old soap slivers to make lather, it's nice and warm, really nice.
in being truly mustacian though I grew a beard! not only does it make me look more bad-ass, but keeps you warm for free, and I use fewer blades ;)
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I just buy the disposable generic razors at the supermarket and use them until the blades get rusty or dull. I'm not very hairy, so not be a common example. Agreed that Gillette (for instance) are insanely priced. Respect the old school single blade approach.
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Just rub all the offending hairs off with pumice, cave-man style.
Ooops... I meant cave-person style. Pleeeeeeze don't hurt me....
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I just buy the disposable generic razors at the supermarket and use them until the blades get rusty or dull. I'm not very hairy, so not be a common example. Agreed that Gillette (for instance) are insanely priced. Respect the old school single blade approach.
I disagree, I buy Gillette. They are about $50 for 16 blades at Costco. They last me about 12 weeks a blade(I have daily, and have very course facial hair) so 3.6 years per pack at $50 or $1 a month... not worth worrying about
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Beards are in style. Just saying. ;)
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I use a straight razor, mostly. For some reason, I cannot seem to shave under my nose without nicks, so I use a safety razor there. If I only use the safety razor, the base of my neck gets all red and splotchy.
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+1 to just growing a beard, spend less time and money
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Bought an extremely fancy Braun electric razor for $120. Last one I had for at least 7 years so that's ~$1.40/month. And no hassle or cost with lather etc! That's worth it alone. I don't understand the complaining of razor blade costs when electric ones can be had for cheap and are less work? And less painful.
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I've been using DE safety razors for years now. They're a better shave than I ever got from a multi-bladed razor, don't clog up with whiskers as easily if you go a week between shaving, get a much closer shave than electric razors, and are super cheap.
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+1 to just growing a beard, spend less time and money
Believe it or not there are actually people who cannot grow full beards. Yep I am one of them. My brothers are as well. My dad could easily grow a full beard so I suppose somewhere between him and his sons the "beard gene" disappeared. I used to hate it but have gotten used to having to shave. It's funny my best friend growing up could grow a full beard in High School and here I am almost 40 years old, still not able to grow a full beard.
Funny and somewhat related, before I met my current wife, I dated the sister-in-law of a guy who's nickname was "The beard." He was on Survivor back in 2013. You should Google him and check out his beard. It's pretty freaking sweet!
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BLADE BUDDY! Get yourselves a Blade Buddy. Right. Now.
For about $15 this rubber contraption allows you to continually sharpen your disposable blades. It takes about twenty seconds before each shave, right there in the shower, and it makes my blades last a month or longer (for my legs) and my husband gets about two months out of each blade for his face. This year I gave everyone Blade Buddies for Christmas too.
You can't save blades that are already dull, but if you use it regularly starting with a new blade, it extends the life of your blade four- or eight-fold.
Seriously, best $15 I spent last year. I used to go through a blade a week, but I haven't bought a new box of blades in over eight months. You can find them on Amazon.
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I started using an electric about a year ago. It doesn't do as good a job as a razor, but I got it for free and even if I had to buy it I would have made my money back in blades and shaving cream. Before I switched I was gifted a little tube of some kind of soap/paste. It came in a little green squeeze tube and worked a hell of a lot better than modern gel. My wife also switched to using plain soap rather than a gel/foam and she swears by it now.
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A random recommendation if you like the Dollar Shave Club products...you can get the same razors from their supplier: http://www.dorcousa.com/
(At least, I think DSC still re-sells Dorco USA stuff.)
I bought a big pack of "Pace" razors to replace Gillette disposables and they've been great. I think I got a 2-3 year supply for about $20 after a coupon.
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I disagree, I buy Gillette. They are about $50 for 16 blades at Costco. They last me about 12 weeks a blade(I have daily, and have very course facial hair) so 3.6 years per pack at $50 or $1 a month... not worth worrying about
I am fascinated by this. I am a non-hairy woman (straight fair fine hair) and if I don't change my blade after, say, four uses, it starts ripping off my skin. My coarse-haired husband can use his for months, to the point it doesn't even look like a blade. I don't understand.
Maybe the difference isn't in amount of hair, but sensitivity of skin. My skin bleeds/sunburns/chafes if you look at it in the wrong way.
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A random recommendation if you like the Dollar Shave Club products...you can get the same razors from their supplier: http://www.dorcousa.com/
(At least, I think DSC still re-sells Dorco USA stuff.)
I bought a big pack of "Pace" razors to replace Gillette disposables and they've been great. I think I got a 2-3 year supply for about $20 after a coupon.
I have been using Dorco razors for several years - first when I was buying CVS store brand razors (the Wall Street Journal liked them), then I started buying directly from Dorco. They actually are very high quality razors. Not as good as Gillette Fusion, but they are also a fraction of the price. Google their promo codes and get a really good deal.
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Beards are in style. Just saying. ;)
Not for women...although maybe being the bearded lady might be a good side hustle.
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Target brand dual blade specials, Good News knock offs, are what I use.
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I use gillette mach 3. One cartridge lasts me between 2-3 months. I shave every day. After each use I clean, dry, then run the blade on a dry towel several times in the opposite direction of shaving use(seems like a lot of steps, but it really takes about 5 seconds & is such a part of the routine I don't even notice it). That keeps the blade sharp for months.
20 blades cost $40 at sam's/costco, which lasts me about 3-4 yrs. Just sayin'.
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I use triple blade Bic razors, which are pretty cheap. I just bought a 5 pack for $7, and each one lasts me around a month. I am going to start drying it on a towel like another user mentioned and see if I can get that up to 2 months.
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i typically get the pack of a dozen at the dollar store.
lasts me a year or two. comes to about five cents a month.
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Another shaving optimization of mine is to use free lotion from hotel rooms instead of shaving cream. I get a chuckle every time I shave w/ free lotion, and it even allows me to reminisce on past vacations each morning. It's not even about the money saved (c'mon, I'm not that concerned about saving $3 every several months). I just get a kick out of it. Every time we stay in a hotel I collect the lotion & keep it for shaving. DW thinks it's hilarious. It's one of those things I'd do regardless of whether we have $100k or $100M in the bank.
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Another vote for growing a beard instead. I think it's been about 3 months now. Plus, biking into work is a lot nicer with some extra insulation ;-)
My blades last a long time since they're only really used to occasionally clean up the edges, or to clean up the back neckline after cutting my own locks.
I've found I can also extend the life of safety razors a little bit by stropping the blades before use, as one might with a straight razor. Works in a pinch, but perhaps not a great long term solution. YMMV.
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I haven't used a regular razor in 15 years. I just use an electric one. I recently had to replace the blade on my braun...I've had it for over ten years and it still works wonderfully. No nicks, cuts, razor burn or shaving cream. Plus I can use it to trim my hair. Purchase price was about $90 so that comes out to less than 75 cents a month. I guess the shave isn't as close as a regular razor but it's close enough and I can live just fine without baby-butt smooth facial skin...
I've seen marginal results with electric razors on female legs so maybe it's not as good an option there.
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A radio show host in Chicago years ago was saying if you submerge your razor in oil, that it will last virtually forever. The theory is that your facial hair in no way is dulling the blade, but that the blade is rusting on a micro level because it gets wet everyday and typically sits until all the water evaporates. The theory actually makes sense to me.
Anyway, the radio show host tried it and he said it was true. His razor was completely sharp for months. However, he quit because he was using vegetable oil and he said it wasn't worth smelling like vegetable oil all day. I always wondered if it would also work with baby oil or something else with a neutral or less bothersome odor.
If anyone is willing to be a Guinea pig and try something I'd love to hear the results.
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I'd love to hear the results.
https://www.google.com/search?q=razor+in+oil (https://www.google.com/search?q=razor+in+oil)
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Facial hair is as strong as copper. While I'm sure that rust contributes greatly to a razor's efficacy and the oil thing would help a bit, I'm a little skeptical that the blade would never get dull when you're regularly grinding it across something as tough as facial hair.
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Adding Oil to overall process sounds like it would ultimately cause blemishes. There has to be some on the blade that would end up on and in your face (if man) or other parts (ladies). No thanks!
My DH uses Harry's. Gets a box every 2 months and he was a Gilette snob for many, many years. He says the Harry's are of equal quality and the convenience of free home delivery is fantastic. Unlike many of the posters above, he has to use a fresh blade every week. His hair is very course and grows like crazy. He very rarely goes a day without shaving. I have male relatives that can shave once a week and he is very envious of them. :-) Go to harrys.com/trial and if you pay $3 shipping, they will send you a trial set.
For myself, I tried the DORCO products for ladies when they had a special going and I found them to be just fine. I only switched back to Schick razors because with the Intuition style, they have built in shaving cream so it saves me time in the mornings! I use coupons for them whenever I get them in the sunday paper (pretty often) and use Target CC to save an extra 5%.
CB
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Before I decided to grow a beard I used my double edge safety razor for years. I paid about $70 for my razor, stand and badger hair brush and was good to go.
I used the derby razors http://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B004SGKMA0/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1457128339&sr=1-5&keywords=safety+razor+blades (http://www.amazon.com/Derby-Extra-Double-Razor-Blades/dp/B004SGKMA0/ref=sr_1_5_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1457128339&sr=1-5&keywords=safety+razor+blades)
$9 for 100 which would last me about a year and a half.
I think I would go through soap (I use poraso) about once every 6 months and never got a better shave with all of the super expensive gillette razors I purchased through the years. Plus my razor handle still looks like brand new. I recommend a DE safety razor to anyone who has to shave, male or female. It takes some practice, but once you get it down you'll have the best shave of your life.
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A random recommendation if you like the Dollar Shave Club products...you can get the same razors from their supplier: http://www.dorcousa.com/
(At least, I think DSC still re-sells Dorco USA stuff.)
I bought a big pack of "Pace" razors to replace Gillette disposables and they've been great. I think I got a 2-3 year supply for about $20 after a coupon.
I have been using Dorco razors for several years - first when I was buying CVS store brand razors (the Wall Street Journal liked them), then I started buying directly from Dorco. They actually are very high quality razors. Not as good as Gillette Fusion, but they are also a fraction of the price. Google their promo codes and get a really good deal.
Agreed. I bought this pack way back (although it was $16 at the time): http://www.amazon.com/Dorco-Plus--Blade-System-Trimmer/dp/B008O82O7C/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1457132165&sr=8-1&keywords=dorco+razors (http://www.amazon.com/Dorco-Plus--Blade-System-Trimmer/dp/B008O82O7C/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1457132165&sr=8-1&keywords=dorco+razors)
I shave about twice a week (I'm fine with stubble), and each cartridge has lasted me 5 - 6 months. Haven't had to buy any more yet.
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I am Irish/polish white trash.I go through maybe 4 razors a year.At 35 my facial hair grows like a 13 year old .I still dry the razors with alcohol and a dab of beard oil to make em last longer. ya a weird brag i know
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I stopped shaving in July and now I'm halfway to a zz-top beard. It's great, I look cool and my face isn't in pain every other day anymore. I've also only had one haircut in the last 4 years. Say what you will about the manbun, but it is a cheap, stylish alternative.
My biggest realization with my grooming-less experiment is how ridiculously consumer driven grooming is.
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A radio show host in Chicago years ago was saying if you submerge your razor in oil, that it will last virtually forever. The theory is that your facial hair in no way is dulling the blade, but that the blade is rusting on a micro level because it gets wet everyday and typically sits until all the water evaporates. The theory actually makes sense to me
No need for canola, just dry it with a towel or hot air blower. I'm lazy about it and still get months of use. A 10-pack lasts me 3+ years.
http://www.clarkhoward.com/clark-reaches-12-month-mark-using-single-disposabl
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I used to strop blades once a week on some old blue jeans - something I read on Lifehacker or somewhere like that. With regular honing the blades would last about a month. Then I just decided to grow a beard. That did require investment in a beard trimmer, but I figure it is money well spent because of the time I gain each morning that used to be spent shaving.
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Another DE shaver here for 3-4 years. I use a Gillette Fat Boy razor and prefer Feather blades.
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I've been using safety razors for several years and calculated it will save my $2.5k to $3.2k depending on how long I live. My wife refuses to switch but the savings for her would be minimal since she does replace her blade but every month or so. However she has been using the Same blade for 7 months now since I've been honing it on an old piece of denim. Look up how to do it on youtube and just remember to switch hands so it is even.
Tapa
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A radio show host in Chicago years ago was saying if you submerge your razor in oil, that it will last virtually forever. The theory is that your facial hair in no way is dulling the blade, but that the blade is rusting on a micro level because it gets wet everyday and typically sits until all the water evaporates. The theory actually makes sense to me
No need for canola, just dry it with a towel or hot air blower. I'm lazy about it and still get months of use. A 10-pack lasts me 3+ years.
http://www.clarkhoward.com/clark-reaches-12-month-mark-using-single-disposabl
I've also heard of wiping it with isopropyl alcohol to provide the same quick-drying effect. Another option.
I just bought a safety razor yesterday, so today I will see how badly I cut up my face on the first use. I've been using a shitty electric razor for a few years, and it's finally near-useless, so I decided to give this a shot.
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Bought an extremely fancy Braun electric razor for $120. Last one I had for at least 7 years so that's ~$1.40/month. And no hassle or cost with lather etc! That's worth it alone. I don't understand the complaining of razor blade costs when electric ones can be had for cheap and are less work? And less painful.
I was gifted a Braun electric razor when I turned 18. It was still working great 7 years later when I lost it during travel (I suspect it was stolen from my checked bag by TSA or equivalent). I bought another one for about $70 and it's been about 7 years now on that one too, still going strong. So it's costing me less than $1/month.
+1 to just growing a beard, spend less time and money
Believe it or not there are actually people who cannot grow full beards. Yep I am one of them. My brothers are as well. My dad could easily grow a full beard so I suppose somewhere between him and his sons the "beard gene" disappeared. I used to hate it but have gotten used to having to shave. It's funny my best friend growing up could grow a full beard in High School and here I am almost 40 years old, still not able to grow a full beard.
I also cannot grow a full beard. I end up with sort of a goatee and a few random stray hairs on the sides.
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I don't like the throwaway part of shaving with a disposable razor. Too much waste.
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For you ladies who want to join me in staying REALLY smooth, you need to stop shaving all together and go to an epilator. Best. Purchase. Ever. I would end up prickly minutes after stepping out of the shower, just from goosebumps. Now my legs are smooth for a week at a time, and the minimal regrowth is soft. It also makes legs look better for those of us who have pale skin and dark hair. Shaving doesn't fix the dark roots that show right through the skin.
It is NOT recommended for men's faces, though, as men's beards are rooted differently and you can damage your face.
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For you ladies who want to join me in staying REALLY smooth, you need to stop shaving all together and go to an epilator. Best. Purchase. Ever. I would end up prickly minutes after stepping out of the shower, just from goosebumps. Now my legs are smooth for a week at a time, and the minimal regrowth is soft. It also makes legs look better for those of us who have pale skin and dark hair. Shaving doesn't fix the dark roots that show right through the skin.
It is NOT recommended for men's faces, though, as men's beards are rooted differently and you can damage your face.
Isn't this sort of expensive and incredibly painful?
Initially a little and initially a little!
I paid $63.48 for mine in June of 2012, so if it dies at the end of this month (which I doubt) I will be out around $1.41 per month.
Here is the review I put on Amazon back in 2012 of the Braun SE 5280 [old version] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QI8UJK?ref_=cm_rdp_product). I've never used any other epilator, so I'm not recommending it over other brands.
I bought this a couple months ago (at the time, it was cheaper at BB&B with a 20% off coupon, though BB&B's website claimed they no longer carried it). My first time, I did both legs (including the bikini line) and both arms (not underarms). It took two hours, and I was biting my lip the whole time. The ice glove didn't help much, but it did help to take off the starter cap and just use the efficiency cap for everything. For the next day or two, I had little bumps everywhere. But, the hair was gone!
I started epilating the aforementioned parts once a week. For the second use, things didn't hurt nearly as much, and the bumps only lasted an hour. By the third use, most areas stopped hurting completely. This may be in part because I had sugar-waxed my arms a few times in the past, but they had completely grown out again. At this point, I can get arms, legs, a little past the bikini line, and underarms done in one hour and ten minutes. Compared to the ridiculous time it takes me to shave daily (20 minutes, blah!), this is actually time-saving.
I will note that this does not get my skin perfectly smooth. If I rub against the growth of the hair, I still feel a few tiny hair ends which were too short to be caught. But they don't feel prickly anymore, and rubbing any other direction feels smooth.
This is such an improvement over shaving, which leaves me with horrible razorburn immediately, ingrown hairs because I can't bear to scrub to exfoliate razorburned skin, and super-prickly legs immediately if I get goosebumps for a minute. Also, with epilating I don't get the ugly shadow of dark hair roots under pale skin.
Hints:
1) I think that epilating once a week really cuts down the pain level. You are grabbing fewer hairs from each area, and your skin has less time to lose the tolerance.
2) Exfoliate during every shower. I also scrub my skin with a dry, rough washcloth right before epilating, which gets all the hairs to stand up nicely. If you don't exfoliate, you will get ingrown hairs. I still get a few, but not many. Also, moisturize after each shower. If you don't like scented stuff, a bottle of mineral oil (laxatives section of the pharmacy) will do the trick cheaply and without any odor. Just rub a little on without toweling off first.
3) This thing is noisy. It is often compared to the sound of a lawnmower. I listen to music on headphones while doing this, to pass the time, so it isn't terribly loud.
4) Go SLOWLY when epilating, or the hair is more likely to break. This was an issue on my arms for a while, before I started actually following the instructions.
5) Hold the epilator at the recommended 90-degree angle and don't press it into your skin. This really does make it more effective.
Over the next couple months, my technique or timing improved enough that my epilated parts are smooth in every direction. Also, I now gently exfoliate with a pumice stone on legs and arms in the shower before epilating. Only my underarms and bikini line are somewhat painful (but not much). Make sure skin is dry (dusted with cornstarch, if necessary) before epilating. For legs and arms, I can feel that the hair is coming out, but it doesn't hurt. Also, over time, less hair grows back.
Also, from what I've heard, waxing requires 1/4-inch or more of regrowth to work. For my epilator, if I can feel the hair, it can almost always be epilated.
Seriously, if you can get through the first couple weeks, this is a great tool. Some women mention that they take a couple ibuprofen (or glasses of wine!) before their first time. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, as I don't want to clutter up this shaving thread too much.
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went with a straight razor about a year ago. bought a 100 pack for cheap on amazon. wont have to buy razor blades for another 4 years
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A straight razor?? That's intense! Do you use leather to strop it?
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A radio show host in Chicago years ago was saying if you submerge your razor in oil, that it will last virtually forever. The theory is that your facial hair in no way is dulling the blade, but that the blade is rusting on a micro level because it gets wet everyday and typically sits until all the water evaporates. The theory actually makes sense to me
No need for canola, just dry it with a towel or hot air blower. I'm lazy about it and still get months of use. A 10-pack lasts me 3+ years.
http://www.clarkhoward.com/clark-reaches-12-month-mark-using-single-disposabl
Thanks for the link, this thread is motivating me to pay more attention to this expense. Currently buy 16 pack from Costco, I'm gonna try an experiment the Clark Howard method of drying the blade after use, after blowing on back of blades, and store blade side up in dry place with silica. If that and stropping on jeans doesn't let me get at least a month out of the blade then I'll have to try Dollar Shave club or something.
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I shave 3-4 times a week. I was using Gillette Mach5's for a long time one cartridge would last 1.5-2 months.
But these refills are pricey, even on Amazon. Giving Harrys a try. I also tried a 30 electric razor, a Phillips and it was okay but it was a pain to clean.
Gonna pick up a blade buddy and look into a straightedge
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My husband uses an old school cutthroat razor, he sharpens it regularly and has had the same one now for 8 years.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I use bic disposable 2-blade razors. Shave on Wednesdays and Sundays. Use the same razor for probably 3-6 months before it gets clogged up/dull to the point where it's not cutting effectively. toss it and grab another one. I buy new razors about as often as I buy shaving cream (maybe once every two years or so).
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I disagree, I buy Gillette. They are about $50 for 16 blades at Costco. They last me about 12 weeks a blade(I have daily, and have very course facial hair) so 3.6 years per pack at $50 or $1 a month... not worth worrying about
I am fascinated by this. I am a non-hairy woman (straight fair fine hair) and if I don't change my blade after, say, four uses, it starts ripping off my skin. My coarse-haired husband can use his for months, to the point it doesn't even look like a blade. I don't understand.
Maybe the difference isn't in amount of hair, but sensitivity of skin. My skin bleeds/sunburns/chafes if you look at it in the wrong way.
You need to dry your razor off after using it. There is a pretty famous radio show host named Clark Howard who talks about using the same $1 disposable razor for a year and all he did was wipe it dry after he used it. The dryness of your razor is the most important part of keeping it sharp. Dry it with a towel (if you are a real bad-a you can dip it in alcohol) after you are done and don't keep it in the shower or out in the bathroom where the steam can get on it.
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BLADE BUDDY! Get yourselves a Blade Buddy. Right. Now.
For about $15 this rubber contraption allows you to continually sharpen your disposable blades. It takes about twenty seconds before each shave, right there in the shower, and it makes my blades last a month or longer (for my legs) and my husband gets about two months out of each blade for his face. This year I gave everyone Blade Buddies for Christmas too.
You can't save blades that are already dull, but if you use it regularly starting with a new blade, it extends the life of your blade four- or eight-fold.
Seriously, best $15 I spent last year. I used to go through a blade a week, but I haven't bought a new box of blades in over eight months. You can find them on Amazon.
Ooh - thanks! I had no idea something like this existed. Definitely going on my next Amazon order.